Giving You the Gift of Me

Last Thursday, the first night of Hanukkah, Etan Rosenbloom, 41, went to his office holiday party at Cara Restaurant, an airy, farm-to-table spot in Los Angeles.

Mr. Rosenbloom, who works in marketing for a music industry company, thought he knew what he was going to receive for the companywide Secret Santa. “We were all supposed to write down five things we would want,” he said. His list included Haribo gummy products and a six-pack of craft beer.

But the colleague who drew his name went rogue, and instead bought him socks with his 6-year-old daughter’s face printed on them. “It was a photo from Disneyland, and she was holding a churro,” he said.

He loved the socks. “They are really comfortable, but they also look cool,” he said. “I feel like they fit my vibe.”

He was also touched by the thought and effort that went into this gift, which involved his colleague going through his Instagram to find the perfect picture. “She thought so much about this,” he said. “I was a little bit teary.”

While it has long been possible to go to print a photo on a mug or T-shirt, it is now possible to personalize almost anything. Want to put someone’s mug on oven mitts, underwear, golf balls, pajamas, e-cigarettes, puzzles or ornaments? No problem.